What To Do, What To Do...

I had a problem that was really bugging me.  It took quite a few brainstorming sessions, but in the end, I came up with a solution.

You see, I have a serious obsession love affair with jewelry…and because of this “issue” I have accumulated a whole lot of pretty stuff.  Of course, owning a lot of pretty accessories is not an issue, but storing and organizing them is a whole different story.

This is what I was working with.

Yup, that's all my jewelry thrown into a laundry basket for easy moving.  I needed to lay it all out somewhere so I could sort, purge and organize.  Once I did...this is what I was left with.

I reallyyyy needed to come up with a system that would allow me to see everything.  My normal issue is that if I don't see it, I won't wear it.

So how the heck can I keep all this together, in a compact space, that fits behind our bedroom door?!?!?!  Hmmmmm.

At first I thought I could invest in a pretty curtain rod or towel bar {that didn't look too towel-bar-ish} for all my necklaces.  But most of what I found was 1) too wide, 2) too expensive and 3) wasn't the look I was going for.

After much searching, I finally came across the PERFECT thing!  It was....

...an old paper towel holder!!!!!!!!!  Say whaaaaaaaaaaaat?!?!?!

Yes, I know...I know.  It's not the cutest thing on the block, but I could see the potential.  All it took was a little charcoal gray paint, and BAM!  It was like this was made for my project!  {Plus, it had a built in shelf that would work perfectlyyy to hold the earring display I wanted to make.}

Once I settled on what would hold my 82374298234 necklaces, I got to work on making my earring display.  This part of my jewelry organization was the easiest.  I took an old frame that I had in our former townhouse, removed the glass and backing...painted it a pretty color...added some wire with a couple thumbtacks and a hammer...and taaa-daaaa, an earring holder!  Oh, and some felt and ribbons helped to make things interesting. 

So without further adieu, here is what I came up with.  Btw, my photography skills are HORRIBLE...I wish I could do better than snapping away with my iPhone.  Sorry for the terrible quality. :(  Le sigh....

Have you guys tackled some organizational projects lately?!?!  For less than $10, this thing rocks my world and makes getting ready THAT much easier every morning! :)

Master Closet...Check!

Even though our master bedroom isn't quite masterful yet...our ensuite closets finally are!

Remember when I described our master closet situation here???  Yea, well that was the last time I discussed that space.  I finally decided it was about time I switched my focus from the living areas of our home to the ensuite area.  Our closet systems have been installed since a day or two before Christmas, but that doesn't mean my belongings where put away properly or had a permanent resting place since then.  I have basically been throwing stuff in and out of there...and rearranging things as we spent more time in our new home.

And now that we have our Craiglisted furniture all painted and in place, I had no excuses left...I needed to get my closet finished and fully functional.

The process was a little annoying and involved a lot of trying on clothes and tossing the things that I didn't love or didn't fit into a donate pile.  Once I purged all that I could {I still have way too much haha}, I put everything on these slim hangers from Bed Bath & Beyond.  I love them.  They grip my clothing with their velvety texture and they take up minimal rod space.

Ever since I finished my closet, getting dressed in the morning is as easy as can be.  It helps a lot to have all my clothing organized and displayed right in front of me.  I mean, I still have the "I have nothing to wear" moments quite frequently...and then I want to Gibbs head slap myself because of the amount of clothing I own haha.  {That was a NCIS reference...anyone else out there watch that show?!?!?}

To help me trim down my wardrobe in the future {aka - keep me from hoarding junk I don't wear}, I'm implementing a technique.  All of my hangers face the same way on each rod.  When I wear something, I will flip the hanger the other way.  This will help me to wear more pieces, and it will also help me to keep track of things need to go into a donate pile.  {I read somewhere that we only wear 20% of our wardrobe...yikes!}

So enough babbling on my part...here are some pictures {yes, without the doors on} of my closet.  Please, don't judge too harshly.  I'm painfully aware that my closet is so boring and stark white.  I have dreams of jazzing it up with some paint and possible stenciling, but that project would involve a crazy amount of time, patience and taping.  Perhaps I'll tackle that after alllllllllllll the other projects on my to-do list. :)

The only thing missing in here is my jewelry.  That just wouldn't fit...so I have something else planned for accessory organization.  More on that project when I actually get around to doing it!  {The weather around here has not been suitable for spray painting lately.  Booooo!}

Hopefully my "mission organization" attitude continues, and I can tackle our nightmare-ish hall closets ASAP!  Anyone else organize something lately?!?!